I love the idea of combining disciplines, and I think that I have found a way to work in both bonsai and gyotaku which enriches both art forms. In the Journal of the American Bonsai Society due out in February 2026, I have the opportunity to outline some ideas that I have about how the composition of gyotaku prints, particularly schools of fish, can inform bonsai artists making forests or windswept designs. There is quite a bit of crossover between the two forms of visual arts. It may not seem obvious, however if an artist understands a few things about these analogous artforms, I believe that both will improve.
Last May, I was asked by Ellen Veselenak of the Ann Arbor Bonsai Society (MI) to do a talk for the club and conduct a workshop. Previously, they had a speaker who discussed how traditional Japanese scrolls are used in formal bonsai display. Ellen suggested that, since the group was familiar with scrolls, I should add a section of my talk where I explained how gyotaku images are used on a scroll. It was a good idea that would add an interesting bit to my talk, plus I like to be pushed into new research, I agreed.
I first spoke with a friend that I had met at a North East Pennsylvania Bonsai Society club meeting. Christina Major is an accomplished calligrapher. She said that only about ten percent of scrolls contain images of fish, almost all of them carp. The fish used on scrolls were all pen and ink drawings, and the level of detail would be one eye and maybe five scales. Kristy Majeske, who specializes in antique Japanese scrolls and her own custom paintings agreed that gyotaku images were too representational (Fig. 1). Scrolls were intended to carry a deep meaning and be displayed only during specific times of the year. Gyotaku prints did not have the spiritual or ephemeral qualities necessary. So, my presentation in Ann Arbor flipped. Instead of talking about how my fish might be used on a scroll, I spent time talking about why gyotaku would not be appropriate to use on a traditional scroll.
Figure 1-Interesting, but far too realistic for a scroll. by Lou Farrell
But, of course, this got me thinking. Both art forms are based on a Japanese aesthetic, which demands that the artist consider basic compositional guidelines, and the use of negative space. It occurred to me that an artist familiar with both could apply those rules to improve both their prints and trees.
Figure 2-The plot plan for a bonsai forest. The lowest numbers indicate the larger trees. by Lou Farrell
Figure two is the plot plan for a forest of white birches that I planted about twenty years ago. The #1 tree is the largest, and is planted prominently. The other trees are smaller and are there to add depth to the composition. They are the supporting cast.
Figure 3-A print composed of black sea bass arranged according to the forest plot plan (unfinished). by Lou Farrell
Figure 3 shows the incomplete print made using that plan. I’ll paint in the eyes at some point. To make a #1 fish, I would have to make it darker, something not too difficult for an experienced printer.
Figure 4-A gyotaku fish print made using the layout of a bonsai forest as a template. by Lou Farrell
Figure 4 shows this. The fish at the center draws the most attention and moving down and to the left are others that are darker. Other fish, lighter and less well-defined surround the focal points and suggest depth, distance from the viewer.
In bonsai, groupings are key to making a tree in a pot look realistic. That same idea is also useful when planning a gyotaku print. Fish are always moving in three dimensions, while a tree is not. A small collection of five fish can seem to be focused on moving toward a vanishing point, when in reality the density of the color is the thing that makes your eye move from the primary fish then to the others that are printed with less ink and less definition. That motion, combined with darker and lighter shading is quite similar to what a bonsai artist does when making a windswept tree, a tree that is stationary, but trained to appear as if it has been shaped by the wind on a mountaintop.
There’s more to explore. I plan to be doing more large format work using smaller fish like tiny Butterfish, Crappies, or Sea Bass to discover how the gyotaku aesthetic can be used to improve my plantings of tiny Eastern Red Cedars, American Elms, and Maples. I’ll also do the reverse, using successful bonsai compositions to make my prints more sophisticated. Stay tuned!
Lou Farrell
Hatfield, PA
https://www.
January 19, 2026
Thanks for reading. Reach out if you have any questions.
Lou